Equipment for cleaning engine cooling systems



Nov. 9, 1965 J. R. BESSER EQUIPMENT FOR CLEANING ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS Filed March 18. 1964 INVENTOR:

JOESPH R. BESSER BY W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,216,430 EQUIPMENT FOR CLEANING ENGINE QOOLING SYSTEMS Joseph R. Besser, 2859 W. Montrose, Chicago 18, Ill. Filed Mar. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 352,862 3 Claims. (Cl. 134-102) This invention relates to cleaning equipment, and more particularly, to improved cleaning equipment suitable for commercial use to clean the water cooling systems of internal combustion engines.

Internal combustion engines, such as used in an automotive vehicle, have a cooling system, using either air or water as the cooling fluid, for maintaining a constant sufficiently cool operating engine temperature. A water cooling system includes water conveying passages formed in the engine block, a heat exchanger or radiator having water conveying passages, and separate hose means for permitting circulation of water through the passages in a closed loop between the engine block and radiator. Since the water only circulates in a single direction, impurities in the water and oxides from or decay of the water conveying passages tend to restrict the flow passages to reduce the effective water flow and thus cooling capacity of the system. To clean the passages, the hose means are removed from the engine block and radiator, and a fluid is forced through the passages in the direction opposite to the usual flow direction. Water alone can be used as the backflushing fluid, although a mixture of water and pressurized air is more effective because of the increased churning action thereof in the passages.

Present backflushing equipment has several common drawbacks, one such drawback being the requirement of separate hoses for conveying the water and air to the radiator or the engine block. This dual hose connection renders the backflushing equipment quite bulky and thus diflicult to handle. A further common drawback is the pressure drop of air caused by conveying it through conventional air hoses from the pressure tank or compressor to the backflushing equipment. Since eflicient backflushing requires a large volume of high pressure air to break down the collected deposits and since conventional air equipment is only of approximately 200 psi. maximum pressure, the backflushing equipment commonly must be located near the air source to provide sufiicient volume of air at the required pressure. This reduces the effectiveness of the backflushing equipment by limiting the working space available within which the equipment can be used.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide improved backflushing equipment of compact design consisting of only one hose for connection to the cooling system, the equipment being readily usable both in a stationery and/ or portable installation.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved backflushing equipment that is both simple in construction and economical in cost, but yet is most eflicient in operation.

In order that these and other objects can be more fully appreciated, reference is herein made to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the subject invention as used in typical working cooperation with a radiator and engine block of an internal combustion engine water cooling system;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of longitudinal center section of the air tank and water-air mixing housing in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section, of the terminal connection of the hose of FIG. 1; and

3,216,438 Patented Nov. 9, 1965 FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section, of an end cap commonly used with the subject equipment.

FIG. 1 shows an internal combusion engine 10 having a cooling system including the engine 10 having internal passages (not shown) between tubular connections 12 and 14, and a radiator 16 having internal passages (not shown) between tubular connections 18 and 20. A hose 22 connects the upper connections 12 and 18 of the engine and radiator, respectively, and a second hose (removed and not shown) normally connects the lower connections 14 and 20 to complete a closed loop between the engine and radiator. Usually, water is circulated in the closed loop inside the internal passages (not shown) in the engine 10 and the radiator 16 in a clockwise direction (FIG. 1) from the lower connection 20 of the radiator 16 through the internal passages in the engine 10 and out upper connection 12 back to the radiator 16. The air ambient the radiator 16 cools the water therein as required to maintain the operating engine temperature constant.

Normally, time and continued use of the cooling system typically cause deposits to' collect in the water conveying passages to restrict effective water flow through them. To overcome this, water or a mixture of water and high pressure air is passed in a reverse direction through the passages to churn the deposits free and backflush them out. FIG. 1 shows the preferred embodiment of the subject invention backflushing the radiator 16, the backflushing fluid being forced through the radiator from the lower connection 20 so as to drain from the disconnected hose 22.

The preferred embodiment includes a portable air reservoir or tank having inlet fitting 31 to which an airline 32 is connected through quick disconnect coupling 34. Valve 36 in the inlet fitting permits uncoupling of the air line 32 without loss of pressure from the tank 30. Housing 40 is connected through outlet valve 38 and forms a continuous passage from the tank 30 to connection 42 to which a hose 44 is connected. The valve 38 preferably one that is spring closed, so that it can be opened by manipulation of handle 45 but will close automatically upon releasing the handle. A water line 46 is connected at T 48 to housing 40 just above the outlet 42, and operates to deliver water to the housing. Valve 50 permits adjustment of the water flow to the housing 40 or uncoupling of the water line 46 without water or air leakage from the housing. The hose 44 has an outlet in the form of a quick connection means 56 '(FIG. 3) from which the cleaning fluid is discharged. The connection means 56 commonly is connected to the terminal connection of the engine or radiator, as shown in FIG. 1 connected to the connection 20 of the radiator 16. A nozzle 60 is fixed within the housing 40 in the air stream from the tank 30, and has its restricted end 62 located below the water inlet 48 to the housing 40 generally within a mixing chamber 66 defined below the nozzle between the inlet 48 and the outlet 42.

The chamber 66 is connected by means of the hose 44 to the radiator or engine to communicate the cleaning fluid of an air and water mixture to the radiator or engine. FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the connection means 56 for the outlet hose 44 to the radiator or engine terminal. The connection 56 includes a conventional rubber cap or plug 70 (similar to that shown in FIG. 4) which has a cylindrical sidewall 72 closed at one end by endwall 74. The plug 70 has an opening formed in the endwall 74 through which the threaded male projection of a connector 76 is inserted. Washers 78 are confined on opposite sides of the endwall 74 by a shoulder 80 on the connector 76 and a lock nut 82. The connector 76 includes a through bore 84 communicating with the hose 44, so that plug 70 is sealed to the outlet hose 44.

The side wall 72 of the plug 70 is sufficiently large (approximately 3" ID.) to-receive any terminal connections of a standard engine or radiator. The outer periphery of the side wall has formed therein a groove 86 adapted to receive a band 88 of a tightening clamp 90. The'clamp 90 has spaced openings 92 for receiving in locking engagement an adjustment screw 94. A transverse bar 96 welded to the end of the screw 94 increases the turning leverage on the screw for easily and quickly tightening the clamp 90 sufficiently to secure cup 70 to the terminal connection required with a minimum of effort.

Commonly, the different radiator or engin terminal connections vary in size in which case a sleeve or spacer 98 can be used to firm up the connection with connection means 56. The sleeve 98 is generally cyilndrical at 100 and converges to a lesser diameter 102 on one end. The sleeve 98 is sized to readily slip over the end of the terminal connection of the engine block or radiator with the tapered end 102 facing away from the engine or radiator toward the advance of the connection means 56. The sidewall 82 thus can slip over the nose end 102 onto the sleeve 98 and the terminal connection 20. More than one sleeve can be used if required, the sleeves being of different sizes and stacked on one another. Also in many installations the engine or radiator has a dual terminal connection (two of connections 20, for example) so that to avoid a short circuit across them a cap 104 (FIG. 4) is put on one connection and the connection means 56 is put on the other. The side Wall 106 similarly has a groove 108 to receive a locking clamp 90 as described above to hold the cap on the terminal connection.

In operation, air is confined in the tank 30 under the conventional pressure of the order of 100 to 200 psi. Upon opening the outlet air valve 38 from the tank 30 the short length of large area passage through the housing to the nozzle outlet 62 causes air at a tremendous velocity to pass through the nozzle. This high veolcity air acting against the water confined within the chamber 66 forces both the air and water to the point of least resistance through the connection 42 and outlet hose 44 to the connection means 56. The outlet hose 44 is approximately a garden size hose of to diameter so as to accommodate readily the passage of the air and water with a minimum of back pressure or resistance which could choke the flow. The discharge from the outlet connection means 56 is a rniXture of atomized water forced by the expanding air as a highly turbulent high velocity flow. Since the discharge end 62 of the nozzle 60 is located below the inlet 48 of the water line 46 there is little tendency with the large size outlet hose 44 and its minimum back pressure to cause back flow of the air or water into the water line 46. The action above described of the air from nozzle 60 on the water within chamber 66 of the housing 40 is similar to a jet pump which operates upon the rapid expansion of a gaseous fluid to pump and/or mix with a second fluid.

It is thus seen that the subject equipment provides a ready means for cleaning or backfiushing the water cooling system of an automotive engine. The equipment also can be used to clean the exterior of the radiator by holding the connection means 56 close to the radiator to spray it with the discharging high velocity air and water mixture. The tank 30 preferably is between 1 to 2 cubic feet capacity and is mounted on Wheels 110 to make it portable in use. A pressure gauge 112 can be connected to the tank, if desired, to advise the operator of the tank pressure.

Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made therein without departing from the inventive concept. Accordingly, it is desired to limit the scope of the invention only by the claims hereinafter following.

What is claimed is:

1. Cleaning equipment, comprising a housing having a through bore, air inlet means for the housing communicating with the through bore at one end, water inlet means for the housing communicating with the through bore downstream of the air inlet means, a restrictor positioned across the through bore within the housing at a location upstream of the water inlet means and having its outlet open to the through bore at a location therein downstream of the water inlet means, outlet means for the housing communicating with the other end of the through bore, said outlet means including a hose and connection means suitable to connect in a fiuid tight manner to an exterior terminable connection on a conventional automotive water cooling system, adjustable valve means connected, respectively, in the air inlet means and the water inlet means to regulate as desired the respective flow rates, and an air tank supporting the housing and communicating directly with the air inlet means to deliver thereto a large quantity of air under high pressure from the tank with a minimum of pressure drop.

2. Cleaning equipment according to claim 1, wherein wheels support the air tank operable to offer mobility to the equipment for portable use thereof.

3. Cleaning equipment for a water cooling system on an automotive engine, comprising a housing having a through bore therein, an air source connected to one end of the housing, control means for regulating flow of air to the housing, a water source connected to the housing downstream of the air inlet, control means for regulating the flow rate of water to the housing, a nozzle across the air flow path upstream of the water inlet and having its outlet of restricted area as compared to the normal area of the through bore located downstream of the water inlet, a fluid conveying hose connected to the downstream end of the through bore suitable for connection to an exterior terminal connection of the water cooling system, an air tank supporting the housing and communicating directly with the air inlet means to deliver thereto a large quantity of air under high pressure from the tank with a minimum of pressure drop, and wheels supporting the air tank operable to offer mobility to the equipment for portable use thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,502,115 7/24 Nicholson 134-102 2,165,926 7/39 Greene 2858 2,811,975 11/57 Tatibana 134-102 2,835,234 5/58 Rasch 134169 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner,

GEORGE 1, NORTH, Examiner, 

1. CLEANING EQUIPMENT, COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A THROUGH BORE, AIR INLET MEANS FOR THE HOUSING COMMUNICATING WITH THE THROUGH BORE AT ONE END, WATER INLET MEANS FOR THE HOUSING COMMUNICATING WITH THE THROUGH BORE DOWNSTREAM OF THE AIR INLET MEANS, A RESTRICTOR POSITIONED ACROSS THE THROUGH BORE WITHIN THE HOUSING AT A LOCATION UPSTREAM OF THE WATER INLET MEANS AND HAVING ITS OUTLET OPEN TO THE THROUGH BORE AT A LOCATION THEREIN DOWNSTREAM OF THE WATER INLET MEANS, OUTLET MEANS FOR THE HOUSING COMMUNICATING WITH THE OTHER END OF THE THROUGH BORE, SAID OUTLET MEANS INCLUDING A HOSE AND CONNECTION MEANS SUITABLE TO CONNECT IN A FLUID TIGHT MANNER TO AN EXTERIOR TERMINABLE CONNECTION ON A CONVENTIONAL AUTOMATIVE WATER COOLING SYSTEM, ADJUSTABLE VALVE MEANS CONNECTED, RESPECTIVELY, IN THE AIR INLET MEANS AND THE WATER INLET MEANS TO REGULATE AS DESIRED THE RESPECTIVE FLOW RATES, AND AN AIR TANK SUPPORTING THE HOUSING AND COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH THE AIR INLET MEANS TO DELIVER THERETO A LARGE QUANTITY OF AIR UNDER HIGH PRESSURE FROM THE TANK WITH A MINIMUM OF PRESSURE DROP. 